“But give them credit”. He finished with 158 yards on 36 carries. He also ran for 73 yards.
Advertisement
That was Alabama’s 10th touchdown this season that didn’t come from its offense.
Both teams missed field goals in the first half.
Story of the Game: Big plays. Howard had five catches for 208 yards.
This time, the Clemson freshman made a diving catch for an 11-yard touchdown to end the first quarter and give the Tigers a 14-7 lead, their first advantage of the night.
Recognizing a vulnerability in the Tigers’ kickoff return coverage, Alabama called for an onside kick – one that was perfectly executed by placekicker Adam Griffith.
It was all Henry in the first half for the Crimson Tide. Coker finished 16-for-25 for 335 yards.
Clemson has one national championship, won by the Tigers in 1981 under Coach Danny Ford, like current Clemson Coach Dabo Swinney a former Alabama player and assistant coach. “I think that changed the momentum of the game”.
Two plays later, quarterback Jake Coker hit O.J. Howard for a 51-yard touchdown pass that game the Tide the lead for good.
In handing top-ranked Clemson (14-1) its only defeat of the season, Saban showed why he is a master, especially on the big stage. Watson’s 24-yard touchdown pass with 12 seconds pushed him past Vince Young’s mark of 467 yards set in the 2005 title game.
The Tide scored its final TD six play later. There were a few tackles for loss that left the star quarterback hobbling off the field, but nothing he couldn’t get up from.
The next drive for Alabama, however, was even quicker.
Clemson gathered its composure and answered the Tide touchdown with a field goal drive – cutting the Alabama margin to 31-27 – but then special teams’ disaster struck again for the Tigers. It’s just not what he’s known for in a career that now includes four national titles in seven seasons and a fifth at LSU. The others include: Kermit Whitfield (2013 – Florida State Seminoles) and Ted Ginn ( 2006 – Ohio State Buckeyes).
Saban called the kick himself, overruling special teams coach Bobby Williams. The quarterback hit Artavis Scott for a 15-yard score, but the two-point conversion failed. The Tigers just kept coming.
But if this is Howard’s final college game, it was one hell of a way to go out.
Watson had 405 passing yards, his second game with at least 400 this season (420 vs. Boston College). Coker took off for a four-yard carry on third-and-three to pick up the first down.
As a junior, Howard totaled a career-best 394 yards and 33 receptions entering Monday’s game, but was once again held out of the end zone. This season Bama faced nine teams in the preseason Associated Press poll, the most of any team in the nation, and the Tide was 8-1 in those games.
Watson threw another touchdown pass to cap a wild 40-point fourth quarter, but would not get another chance.
They “brought their own guts”, as their head coach likes to say, but Clemson University’s national championship dreams came up just short. “This program doesn’t take a backseat to anybody”. He now trails only legendary Alabama Coach Paul Bryant in coaching teams to national championships. Clemson has not beaten Alabama since 1905 and the loss marked the 13th straight against the Crimson Tide.
O.J. Howard had been the forgotten man in Alabama’s offense at times, disappearing behind a barrage of Derrick Henry runs and Calvin Ridley catches.
Advertisement
With the win in the National Championship, Alabama has finished No. 1 in the AP Poll, while Clemson dropped a spot to No. 2 in the country.
